Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was found unresponsive in his home in December, police records obtained by FOS on Wednesday show.  The report classifies the 64-year-old Irsay’s incident as an “overdose,” notes that “alcohol/drugs” were used, and says he was administered Narcan. The Colts released a statement Wednesday regarding the owner’s health, which didn’t mention his past substance abuse issues.

“Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness. We will have no further comment on his personal health, and we continue to ask that Jim and his family’s privacy be respected,” the statement read.

The health scare, first reported by TMZ, brings up a bigger issue of ownership succession for the Colts and the NFL at large, a decades-long problem that can leave families fighting for control of massive properties, and that commissioner Roger Goodell has worked to rectify in recent years. The NFL formalized a loosely-enforced process to submit ownership succession plans to the league annually. Still, family feuds and aging owners have continued to jeopardize the “orderly transition” for Goodell’s franchises, a phrase he used in 2020 to describe late Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen’s wishes in light of public disputes over his succession.

The latest example of succession drama: As the Houston Texans worked to keep their playoff hopes alive last week, owner Janice McNair’s son Robert Cary McNair Jr. applied for permanent guardianship of his 87-year-old mother and her estate—a move opposed by both Janice McNair and her other son, Cal McNair, the Texans’ chair and CEO.

As for Irsay’s plans for the Colts: Before inheriting the team from his father, in 1997, he told The Indianapolis Star, “We’re keeping 100% of the team that I’m passing on to my children.” One of his three daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, led the Colts’ business operations when her father entered a rehab facility in 2014.

Succession in Seattle

While many had anticipated a forthcoming sale of the Seattle Seahawks, especially given the lifting in May of a related fee that would be owed to the state of Washington in the event of a sale, the departure of coach Pete Carroll last week left many guessing that it’s unlikely an ownership change will come anytime soon. The logic: Ownership likely would have held onto Carroll if a transaction was imminent, sparing a new hire the drama and instability.

Jody Allen has led the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers through her late brother Paul Allen’s estate since 2018, and she has operated under his will’s instructions to sell both teams and distribute the proceeds to charity. NBA bylaws dictate that estate-held teams must be sold in a “reasonable” time period, but commissioner Adam Silver isn’t pushing Allen.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the details of a police report on the matter.

Manchester United’s failure to advance out of UEFA Champions League group play this season has forced the club to lower its 2024 fiscal revenue forecast by nearly $20 million. 

After originally expecting to bring in between $824 million and $862 million, Manchester United is now projecting $805 million to $843 million, with the additional prize funds that clubs receive for advancing to latter rounds of the Champions League no longer attainable. Reaching the knockout stage would have guaranteed at least another $10 million.

Currently sitting at seventh place in the Premier League, United will need a strong finish to crack the EPL’s top four to earn automatic UCL qualification for 2024-25. Any potential run will coincide with the finalization of incoming minority owner Jim Ratcliffe’s deal to invest in the club. The British billionaire’s $1.3 billion offer was formally submitted after this week’s earnings report and could be approved by the EPL in February. New SEC filings reveal that Ratcliffe’s exact share percentage of the club will be 27.69%, giving him 28.71% of voting rights.

Catastrophic Penalty?

The Premier League announced that Everton and Nottingham Forest are facing sanctions for violating profitability and sustainability rules. On the table is a potential deduction of 10 points in the EPL table, which could result in both clubs being relegated—and ultimately missing out on more than $100 million in revenue next season. Everton already suffered a separate 10-point penalty earlier this season.

Two of college sports’ most prominent athletics director jobs are turning over at a time of unprecedented change.

Notre Dame disclosed that their long-planned transition from Jack Swarbrick to Pete Bevacqua will become complete when Bevacqua fully takes the department reins on March 25, according to multiple reports. Separately, Ohio State has named former Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork to the same role, succeeding the retiring Gene Smith. 

The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish are two of the foremost brand names in college sports and enjoy some of the largest and most fervent fan followings of any schools. But amid that strength, Bevacqua and Bjork are stepping into their roles in a time of sharply heightened pressure and transformation in college sports.

Just since the Bevacqua transition plan was announced last June, the Big Ten and Big 12 have both expanded significantly; the Pac-12 is ceasing to exist; and name, image, and likeness rules continue to roil the industry. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is wanting to maintain its traditional football independence. All that has combined to make the current athletics director role somewhat more akin to a CEO than a traditional sports administrator. 

“The college athletics landscape is changing each day, and Ohio State was firmly committed to finding an athletics director who would lead us with confidence and innovative thinking into the future,” said Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the university’s board of trustees.

To that end, Bevacqua arrives at the job with an extensive media background, an increasingly sought-after attribute among colleges for their sports leadership roles, while Bjork has been actively involved in the development and implementation of NIL provisions in Texas.

The concept of load management is becoming a more prevalent issue in soccer, expanding beyond its notable presence in basketball.

French superstar Kylian Mbappé revealed in a new interview with British GQ that the bloating schedule of European soccer could result in conflict between athlete needs and fan desires. “We’re getting closer to the NBA model, with seasons of 70 games,” Mbappé said. “Personally, I’m not against playing that many matches, but we won’t be able to be good every time and give the public the spectacle they expect. In the NBA, players don’t play every game and franchises practice load management. But if I said, ‘I’m tired. I’m not playing on Saturday,’ it wouldn’t go down well.”

Mbappé’s comments arrive as European soccer indeed is mushrooming with additional cup competitions and friendlies and national team commitments supplementing core pro league seasons. The Paris Saint-Germain star and French team captain played 63 times in the 2022-23 season, up from 56 the year before. The number of games is set to expand further with the pending revival of the European Super League, and competition formats are expanding for both the Champions League and the World Cup. 

Back in the U.S., Inter Miami drew scrutiny after late-season injuries to star Lionel Messi amid a packed schedule, while MLS Cup finalist LAFC played a league-record 53 matches in 2023. 

Mbappé cited the NBA in his concerns, but that league has already addressed this issue. Players must play in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for NBA awards such as MVP, All-NBA Team, or Defensive Player of the Year. Star players must also be made available for national TV and In-Season Tournament games, and teams face a series of escalating fines for violations. Additionally, the NBA has found in an internal study that there’s no link between player rest and injury prevention.